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Thursday 29 September 2016

Property owners are re-mortgaging to lock-in low interest rates


According to data from LMS, the number of re-mortgages hit 36,195 in August which is up 8% from July and up 45% annually.  This suggests the homeowners are looking to capitalise on record low interest rates in the wake of the base rate cut and meant that re-mortgage activity reached its highest level in more than seven years, since July 2009.


The value of gross re-mortgage lending fell by 2% from £6.0bn in July to £5.9bn in August, as homeowners’ average re-mortgage loan amount dropped by 6% between July and August from £172,184 to £162,268.


LMS data confirms that the average re-mortgage loan-to-value (LTV) fell from 58% in July to 54% in August: the same value registered in August 2015. The dip in LTV, coupled with the fall in the average loan amount, suggests that homeowners are exercising a degree of caution accessing ever-cheaper deals by reducing the proportion of borrowing against the value of their homes.


Those who re-mortgaged in August 2016 released £31,589, which is 11% less than was the case in August 2015, when the average amount released stood at £35,590

Re-mortgaging should not be the sole preserve of either owner-occupiers or buy-to-let landlords.  All property owners should take advantage of the low interest rates.  In an article to be published next week, The Oxford Property Blog looks at the benefit of investing in Oxford's student property market.  Releasing equity to re-invest in the student market could help optimise yields and better balance a portfolio.

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